The Meaning of Nehemiah 11:31 Explained

Nehemiah 11:31

KJV: The children also of Benjamin from Geba dwelt at Michmash, and Aija, and Bethel, and in their villages,

YLT: And sons of Benjamin are at Geba, Michmash, and Aija, and Beth-El, and its small towns,

Darby: And the children of Benjamin from Geba dwelt in Michmash and Aija and Bethel, and their dependent villages,

ASV: The children of Benjamin also dwelt from Geba onward , at Michmash and Aija, and at Beth-el and the towns thereof,

KJV Reverse Interlinear

The children  also of Benjamin  from Geba  [dwelt] at Michmash,  and Aija,  and Bethel,  and [in] their villages, 

What does Nehemiah 11:31 Mean?

Chapter Summary: Nehemiah 11

1  The rulers, voluntary men, and the tenth man chosen by lot, dwell at Jerusalem
3  A catalogue of their names
20  Those who remain dwell in other cities

What do the individual words in Nehemiah 11:31 mean?

And the sons of Benjamin from Geba [dwelt] in Michmash and Ayyah and Bethel and their villages
וּבְנֵ֥י בִנְיָמִ֖ן מִגָּ֑בַע מִכְמָ֣שׂ וְעַיָּ֔ה וּבֵֽית־ אֵ֖ל וּבְנֹתֶֽיהָ

וּבְנֵ֥י  And  the  sons  of 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Noun, masculine plural construct
Root: בֵּן 
Sense: son, grandson, child, member of a group.
בִנְיָמִ֖ן  Benjamin 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: בִּנְיָמִין 
Sense: Jacob’s and Rachel’s youngest son, Joseph’s full brother.
מִגָּ֑בַע  from  Geba 
Parse: Preposition-m, Proper Noun, feminine singular
Root: גֶּבַע  
Sense: a city in Benjamin, modern ‘Jeba’, which stands on the top of a steep terraced hill, six miles or ten kilometres north east of Jerusalem and three miles or five kilometres from Gibeah, on the edge of the Wadi Suweinit looking northward to the opposite village of ancient Michmash, modern ‘Mukhmas’.
מִכְמָ֣שׂ  [dwelt]  in  Michmash 
Parse: Proper Noun, feminine singular
Root: מִכְמָס 
Sense: a city in Benjamin lying near Ramah and approximately 0 miles (6 km) north of Jerusalem; probably modern ‘Mukhmas’.
וְעַיָּ֔ה  and  Ayyah 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Proper Noun, feminine singular
Root: עַי 
Sense: a city lying east of Bethel and beside Bethaven near Jericho and the 2nd city taken on the invasion of Canaan.
אֵ֖ל  Bethel 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Proper Noun, feminine singular
Root: בֵּית־אֵל  
Sense: ancient place and seat of worship in Ephraim on border of Benjamin, identified with Luz (former name).
וּבְנֹתֶֽיהָ  and  their  villages 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Noun, feminine plural construct, third person feminine singular
Root: בַּת  
Sense: daughter.